Health authorities have confirmed two new cases of Mpox in the Accra Metropolitan Area of the Greater Accra Region.

Consequently, the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has responded by directing all regional health directors to reactivate their public health emergency operations centres.

They are also being urged to step up surveillance, risk communication, and case management efforts across the country.

These new cases mark the first confirmed infections this year.

According to health officials, the two cases are unrelated and were both identified at a health facility.

Contact tracing is currently underway to prevent further spread. The patients are under close monitoring.

Ghana’s outbreak of Mpox began on June 8, 2022, when five initial cases were reported.

By November 2023, the country had confirmed a total of 34 cases. Before this outbreak, Mpox was not known to be endemic in Ghana.

A circular signed by the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service called for a renewed response to the threat, including improved detection and response strategies.

Mpox is a viral illness similar to smallpox. It typically causes fever, swollen lymph nodes, and a rash. The virus spreads through direct contact with an infected person’s skin or bodily fluids, including through sexual contact. Symptoms may include fever, rash or lesions, tiredness, headaches, muscle and back pain, and swollen glands.

Across Africa, the disease remains a major concern. As of March 2025, more than 24,200 cases and around 260 deaths have been recorded in 22 countries. The Democratic Republic of the Congo has been hardest hit, accounting for a large share of both the cases and the fatalities.